Thomas ts



T. F. MOORE Oct. 1, 1929.

WELL POINT Filed OCT.. 17. 1927 Patented @et 1, 1929 @METRE STATES THOMAS F. MOORE, OF MOR/BES LAINS, NEW JERSEY WELL PONT Application filed October 17,1927. Serial No. 226,689.

This invention relates to an improved device, technically known as a well-point for draining water-containing soil of the class set forth in my pending applications Serial No. 59,316, filed September 29, 1925, and for- Inally allowed April 29, 1927, Patent 1,646,- 587, Nov. 8, 1927, and Serial No. 71,148, filed November 2st, 1925, and formally allowed July 15, 1927, Patent 1,657,684, Jan. 3.1, 1928, in which the main object is to permit the same device to be used for jetting a hole in the soil by water under pressure to facilitate the sinking of the well point into the hole and when sunk to the proper depth in the moisture-containing soil for withdrawing the moisture therefrom by suction until the surrounding soil is sufficiently dry to permit excavation for constructive work therein.

Devices of this character are necessarily subjected to rough and severe usage in penetrating different kinds of soil which frequently exist in strata of different depths and sometimes require more or less churning action of the well-point to enable it to be sunk to the proper depth for receiving the water-seepage in the soil and one of the specific objects of the present invention is to construct the device so that its cross section al area above the valve chamber or driving point will be substantially equal throughout its length so that it may be raised and lowered in the soil with a minimum resistance due to contact of the soil with the evteror surface of the device.

Another object is to assemble the various parts of the device in such manner as to avoid shearing strains upon the connections between them.

Another object is to assemble the pipe and its wood backing upon each other and upon the valve case or driving point in such manner that lthe outer surfaces of the pipe and wood backing will come within the cross sectional area of the valve case and thereby to avoid excessive external projections which 'might interfere with the free practical working of the device as a whole into and out of the soil.

further object is to assemble the pipe and wood backing around the axis of the valve case and to provide said wood backing with external lengthwise channels communicating with the interior of the valve chamber for permitting the seepage water to drain into said valve chamber, the pipe and wood backing being preferably surrounded by a wire screen to exclude solid material without interfering with the free flow of the seepage water through said channels and into the valve chamber.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the device will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wellpoint embodying the various features of my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the saine device partly in elevation and partly in section and also partly broken away in which the lower valve case is floated against its seat.

Figure 3 is a detail vertical sectional view through the lower portion of the device taken in theA plane of line 3 3, Figure 2.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are transverse sectional views taken respectively in the planes of line 4 4, Figure 3, and 5 5, and 6 6, Figure 2.

As illustrated, this device comprises a valve case .section 1 a pipe section 2 a back section 3 of wood and a wire screen section 4 together with suitable means including a clamping plate 5 for clamping the edges of the screen to the wood section 3 and float valves 6- and 7 controlling' the port in the valve case in a manner hereinafter more fully described.

rll`he valve case 1 is preferably composed of hollow sections 8 and 9 of steel or equivalent hard m-etal secured one within the other by means of a coupling pin or rivet 10 the upper end of the section 8- being made in the form of a regular polygon in cross section while the lower end is tapered downwardly and circular in cross section for receiving the upper end of the section --9 That is, the upper end of the section Q is tapered upwardly and. is teleseopically fitted within the lower end of the section -8- to form a liquid-tight joint therewith while its lower end is tapered downwardly to form a discharge nozzle for the water which may be introduced under pressure through the pipe 2* into the valve cham ber as -8- of' the section -8- ,for the purpose of jetting a hele in the soil and thereby facilitating the downward movement or sinking of the device into the soil.

ln order that the water under pressure may flow into the interior of the nozzle 9 the upper end wall of said nozzle is provided with a port M11* controlled by the float valve tlwhich opens downwardly but is held against Ydownward displacement into the mouth of the nozzle by engagement with the cross pin -10- as shown by dotted lines in Figure l.

The upper end of the valve case section -8- provided with a transverse partition Ml2- some distance above the top wall of the nozzle section *9 and having a port -rlwhich is controlled by t-he float valve 'otherwise vsecured to the walls of the recess to form a rigid watertight connection bel tween the pipe and valve case.

Thelower end of the pipe 52- is seated directly upon the lower wall of the recess,

ythe meeting edges of those parts being provided respectively with a V-shaped tongue and a V-shaped groove as indicated at --l4-7 Figure 2, to facilita-te welding at this joint and also to assist in holding the pipe and valve against relative lateral movement.

When the pipe D2- and valve case w1- are assembled in the manner just described the outerv'face of the pipe forms a circumferential continuation of the upper end of the valve case and lies approximately within a circumscribed'circle around the upper end of said case but at one side of the axis thereof as shown more clearly in Figure 2.

The pipe *2fmay extend upwardly to any suitable height according to the depth to which the device is to be inse ted into the soil for drainage purposes and is provided with a series of rearwardly projecting internally-threaded ynipplesl l5- welded or otherwise permanently secured thereto in longitudinally spaced relation for receiving a corresj'ionding number ot' clamping bolts 16- by which the wooden section E3- and pipe section -QH are secured to each other.

This wooden backing section -3- extends upwardly from the valve case -lthe maf jor portion ofthe length of the pipe 2H mainly within thecross sectional area of the upper end of the valve case section and is provided with a substantially semi-circular lengthwise groove M17- in which the adjacent side of the pipe is seated so that the walls of the groove may assist in holding the pipe 2W and wooden backing -3- in parallel relation or against relative lateral movement transversely of the axes of the bolts -16-.

The upper end ofthe case section -8- is provided with a marginal flange 17H projecting some distance above the transverse partition M to form a chamber 18- for receiving` seepage water and permitting the same to pass through the registering port -13- and thence into the valve chamber -8- from which it may be withdrawn by suction through the pipe -2-.

The lower end of the wooden section --3` is reduced and snugly fitted in the upper end of the valve case section -8 within the flange -l7- but terminates a short distance above the partition -l2 to avoid closing of the chamber -18- and port -l3-.

This wooden backing section -3- is provided with a plurality of, in this instance tour, lengthwise channels 19M arranged in uniformly spaced relation circumferentially in the perimeter'thereof and extending upwardly from the lower end of said section themajor portion of its length and communieating at their lower ends with the chamber -18- to allow seepage water from the soil to flow through .said channels at any level throughout the length thereof and thence into the chamber l8- and -SL- to be drawn outwardly by suction through the pipe 2.

j The upper portion of the wooden backing section 3M above the channels -19- is made in the form of a regular polygon transversely except as to the semi-circular groove 17- to conform more closely to the shape. and size of the upper end of the valve case section -8-.

The screen 4* is wrapped around the outer faces of the pipe 2 and wooden backing -8 and also around the perimeter of the flange -l7 to extend upwardly ,from said flange `slightly above the level of the upper ends of the channels nJill, the oppositelongitudinal edges ol the wire screen being overlapped against the'back of the wooden section Sw and secured in place by the clamping plate and suitable clamping screws 20- which serve to hold lthe clamping plate and screen in lined relation tothe pipe section 2- and backing section The lower end of said clamping plate -2 is also secured by an additional screw -QO- to the periphery ofthe upper end of the valve case section 48P- kto assist in holding the backing section 3- and valve case section `against relative 4endwise movement.

It is now evident that the well-point as a whole is of approximately uniform cross sectional area from the bottom of the pipe Q to the top of the Wooden backing 3 and that those parts are arranged circumferentially about the axis ofthe valve case 1 the lower section Q of which is tapered and hardened to resist wear but may be removed when necessary for replacement by simply removing the pin lO it being understood that the screen lland clamping plate 5 are sufficiently thin to avoid any appreciable resistance to the vertical movement of the device in the soil.

'lihe valve case sections 8 and Q constitute a cage for the valves G and 7- while the projection of the lower end of the pipe Q below the partition lQ forms with the opposed wall of the section --8 a guide chamber for holding the valve 7 in alinement with its port.

Operation ln using the device for withdrawing moisture from the soil it is. placed in an upright position with its nozzle 9 in the soil and if the latter is sufficiently soft the device may be forced downwardly by hand or other means to the required depth for removing the moisture from the soil or if the soil is more or less hard water under pressure may be forced through the pipe Q through the top downwardly thereby opening the float alve 6 and allowing the water to pass from the tapered nozzle Q into the soil for jetting a hole therein and incidentally moistening the surrounding soil to facilitate the entrance of the device into the hole thus formed.

This operation may be continued until the well-point is sunk to the required depth for withdrawing the moisture therefrom at which time the upper end of the pipe Q will be disconnected from the water pressure supply and reconnected to a suitable suction pump not shown for creating suction in the pipe from the bottom upwardly or from the chamber S through said pipe.

This suction in the chamber 8 and pipe Q will canse the closing of the valve tin the upper end of the nozzle Q and at the same time will open the valve 7 which controls the port l3 thereby allowing the water in the soil to pass through the screen A- and thence downwardly through the channels l9 into the valve chamber 8 from which it will be drawn by suction upwardly through the pipe Q or through suitable conduits connected therewith to any locality remote from the place of installation of the well-point, this operation being continued until the soil in the vicinity of the well-point is sufficiently dry to permit excavation of the soil for constructive work in the excavation.

It is evident that the well-point may remain in operative position during the construction work in the immediate vicinity thereof so as to remove any moisture whicl'i may tend to accumulate in the excavation but as soon as the construction work is sufficiently under way the well-point may be. readily withdrawn and reinserted in some other locality where the moisture is to be removed from the soil for repeating the operation just described.

ll hen water under pressure is being forced through the pipe and nozzle for jetting a hole in the soil the water entering the chamber 8 will cause' the float valve 7 to close its port 13- and at Vthe same time :ause the valve G to open its port ll to allow the inflowing water miller pressure to pass through the tapered portion Q and into the underlying soil.

What ll claim is l. A device for draining water-containing soil comprising a pipe, a wooden backing extending lengthwise of the pipe and secured directly to the periphery thereof and provided with a lengthwise channel in its outer surface, a wire screen secured to the wooden backing across the channels and a metallic nozzle secured to corresponding ends of the pipes and wooden back and having its interior communicating with the adjacent ends of the channels for receiving the water passing therethrough, said pipe being adapted to be connected to a suction device for withdrawing the water from said chamber.

Q. A soil drainage device as in claim l in which the wood backing is provided with a longitudinal groove in which the adjacent side of the pipe is seated.

3. A soil-drainage device as in claim l in which the metallic nozzle is secured by welding or equivalent fastening means to the adj acent end of the pipe.

A. A soil drainage device as in claim l in which the nozzle is provided with a tran sverse partition above the lower end of the pipe and abutting against the periphery thereof and is provided with a port therethrough and a float valve controlling said port.

5. A soil drainage device of the character described, comprising an upright valve case having a water inlet port in' the top wall thereof, a self-opening valve below and controlling said port, and a combined suction and pressure pipe secured in an opening in the upper end of the valve case and communicating with the valve chamber, said valve being adapted to be opened by suction in said pipe.

6. A soil drainage device as in claim 5 in which the valve case is provided with a nozzle section extending into the valve chamber and provided with a port in its upper end, and a self-opening valve below and controlling the lastna1ned port.

7. A soil drainage device of the character Lio described comprising an upright pressure and suction pipe, a valve case secured to the lower end of the pipe and provided with a tapered discharge nozzle having a port in its upper end communicating with the adjacent end of the pipe, a self-opening valve below and controlling` said port, said valve case having a valve chamber extending upwardly above and at one side of the lower end of the pipe, and provided with a water inlet port, anda self-opening valve below and controlling the second-named port.

8. A soil drainage device of the character described comprising an upright pressure and suction pipe, a valve case section secured to the lower end ot the pipe and provided with a valve chamber communicating with the interior of the pipe and extending upwardly beyond the lower end and at one side thereof and having its top wall provided with a water inlet port, a self-opening valve in said chamber below and controlling' the port adapted to be opened by suction in the pipe, a nozzle section lhaving its upper end extending into the valve chamber and provided with a port communicating with the valve chamber, and a self-opening valve below and control ling the second-named port, and adapted to be closed by suction in said pipe.

9. A well-point of the character described comprising an upright pipe, a valve case secured to the lower end ot' the pipe and provided with a valve chamber communicating with the interior of the pipe and extending' upwardly at one side and above the lower end thereof and provided with a port, a valve controlling' said port, a nozzle secured to the lower end of the valve case and extending into the valve chamber and having` its upper end provided with a port communicating with the valve chamber, a valve Controlling the second-n amed port, a backing strip having' its lower end seated on the upper end of the valve case and its remaining` portions eX- tending along the pipe and provided with a lengthwise groove in which the pipe is seated, said strip having lengthwise channels therein communicating with the port in the top of the valve case, and a screen secured to said strip across said channels.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set i my hand this eleventh day of October, 1927.

'IHOMAS F. MOORE. 

